Academic Departments - Latin

Latin is available at AS and A2 levels.

A question frequently asked is “What is the use of studying Latin..?” John Rae, the former Headmaster of Westminster School recently said, “The truth is that boys and girls who have studied Classics are now among the highest paid of all former pupils”. The value of Latin as a training for the mind, promoting logical thought and clarity of expression is well-known. There is less awareness of the esteem in which these qualities - and thus the subject responsible for producing them - are held by employers and by University Admissions Tutors. Classicists tend to be snapped up not only by management consultants and merchant banks, but also by industry (certain companies actively recruit Classics graduates), law schools, computer and accountancy firms. Thus, far from ruling out any area of employment or higher education, an AS or A2 level in Latin will actually count for a great deal.

The AS + A2 level syllabus aims to provide students with a degree of competence in the Latin Language sufficient to enable them to read with understanding, in the original Latin, the writings of Classical Roman authors, both in prose and verse, prepared and unprepared. The students will achieve a detailed understanding of the thought and literary qualities of the specified works of Roman authors and gain significant insights into the thought, mental assumptions, motives and aspirations of the Romans. They will develop an appreciation of a civilisation, which, though remote in time and some other aspects from our own, has nevertheless had a profound influence on the development of later Western civilisation. The syllabus is also designed to encourage the students to develop their abilities to abstract, analyse and evaluate information from the evidence of the written word.

The syllabus studied is that of OCR.

AS Level:

This examination may be taken either as a final qualification, allowing students to broaden their studies, or as the first half of an Advanced Level qualification.

Unit 1: Literature 1 (40% of the total AS marks)

Questions will be set to show comprehension and appreciation of prescribed texts.

Unit 2: Literature 2: (30% of total AS marks)

Candidates translate two passages from the prescribed texts and write an essay on one of them.

Unit 3: Unprepared translation: (30% of total AS Marks)

A passage of Latin not seen before will be translated into English.

Advanced Level (AS + A2)

The three units from AS are required, plus:

Unit 4: Literature 3: (20% of total A2 marks)

Prescribed texts are studied: comprehension and appreciation questions are set, plus an essay has to be written on one text.

Unit 5: Unprepared translation: (15% of total A2 level marks)

Candidates are required to translate two passages (one of prose and one of verse) into English.

Unit 6: Composition or Comprehension: (15% of total A22 marks)

Candidates are required to answer comprehension questions on an unprepared passage of Latin or translate a passage into Latin prose.

Latin combines well with virtually any other subject; its emphasis on precision, logical thought and calculation renders it very compatible with science and mathematic subjects. The literary skills studied make it a suitable companion for subjects such as English Literature and History. The benefits for those studying Modern Languages are obvious.

The subject is available at AS and A2 levels.

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